Park Forest, IL-(ENEWSPF)- When Election Day arrived on November 6, the sixth grade students in Danielle Anderson’s class at Blackhawk Intermediate Center were well informed about the issues. In an in depth Current Events’ unit, the students learned about the electoral process spanning from the national conventions to post-election news.
During the month long unit the students studied the Democratic and Republican parties and noted their differences and similarities; through transcripts and television, the students analyzed the two presidential candidates’ convention speeches and their debate performances to determine if the two men were consistent; studied the Electoral College and developed various Electoral College vote scenarios; analyzed the weekly Gallup polls to determine what the registered voters and likely voters were projected to do; conducted an election poll within the school; and joined their fellow Blackhawk students in casting ballots online.
“An election year is a great opportunity to teach young children about the election process,” said Ms. Anderson. “I could not miss this chance to involve my students in the re-election of the first black president of the United States. Because many students and their families feel a connection this president, the students were excited to learn about the election. The unit went across the curriculum and incorporated language arts, social studies and math. Of course, the students employed critical thinking skills as they compared and contrasted the candidates and their positions.”
Students worked in groups on different topics and then shared their information with their classmates. Graphs were created to show the percent of the votes each candidate received at Blackhawk, reports were written and a video about the election unit was written and produced by the students. Additionally, Ebon-Craig Williams, a student’s godfather, coached the students on public speaking so that they would know how to conduct themselves when giving speeches.
“I enjoyed reviewing the speeches from the conventions and the debates,” said Kayla Colquitt. “This helped me to know what to look for in electing the president. I liked reading the transcripts because I was able to re-read sections of the speeches and the debates to clarify issues for me.”
Fellow classmate Jada Tomas also enjoyed the speeches and debates, but she preferred watching the debates. “When you watch President Obama and Governor Romney give a speech or participate in a debate you are able to see their expressions. I thought the debates were important and they helped us to decide how to cast our ballots. I liked incorporating technology into the unit, too. We did a lot of research online, voted online and used iPads for a number of assignments. I think the technology added to the interest in the project.”
The students’ interest in the election did not end with the re-election of President Obama. Ms. Anderson said they continue to keep abreast of post-election news and discuss what is happening during Current Events. “My prayer is that in the future, as voting citizens, they will be critical thinkers when considering political candidates.”
Kaylah Colquitt knows the project has helped her. Said Kaylah, “Before this unit, I didn’t think too much about elections. Now I realize how important the election and the issues are.”
